Dark Night: The finale
by BradleeScott
Summary: The third installment in the series. ALSO the last part of this part of the story. AGH! You'll get it!


Dark Night The Conclusion

The Dawn

:: OHHHH KAAAAY! This is the last chapter of the Dark Night Series. CAUTION! STRONG LANGUAGE AND STRONG SLASH! Yay for me though, I decided to write a spin-off!!!! But, this is a spin off…. Well, a spin off of a spin off!!!!!! YAHOO!!! SO stay tuned peeps, there will be major BIGGIES in the next installment! OH! And a warning, a big fight scene in the end, and isn't that fun! ::

With a great thud the red ranger landed on the hard ground three floors below. Adam stood in floating dust that arose from the fall. His face stuck in an empathetic smirk.

"So, tell me again how this thing works." Brad pushed hair out form his eyes and glared at the computer screen, hating the remote that was appearing.

"Well, for one, you need to go back to the desktop and take off that wallpaper of Vin Diesel." Adam gave Brad a playful push on the shoulder and leans in over the shoulder of his student. "Hot he may be, but I don't think the other students will appreciate your humor."

"Well…" He turns his head and their eyes meet. "They should lighten up a little." He gives a playful smile and turns back to the computer screen.

"Now, type in alt run and see how that works out." He paused for a second and sniffs the air. "New shampoo?"

"You like?" Brad giggles a little and types in the keys. He giggles jumps from his seat with excitement as it works. "YES!"

Adam jumps away fast enough so his chin doesn't get the shoulder treatment. "See, these after school study sessions may be doing you some good after all." He stands and joins Brad.

The red ranger swings his arms around Adam's neck and hugs tightly. He pulls back and their looks linger for a second, a long, unprofessional second. "I think it's because I have a great teacher."

"No…" Adam leans in closer. "You're just a really good learner."

They get dreadfully close to a kiss. Adam can smell the watermelon scent that Brad's breath always had. He loved it. He looked deep into the lime eyes and prepared for a kiss. Just before their lips touched a familiar chiming pulled at the moment of fantasy, and drug it back to reality.

The feint sounds of Adam's boots slugged down the stairs. The heavy hits echoed through Brad's mind. It raced as he stirred on the floor of the apartment complex. He let out a groan as he tried to get up. His body racked with pain from the fall and he just collapsed back on to the floor.

"Yeah, taking a hard fall hurts bad, huh?" He sounded like he was enjoying hurting Brad. The only response Brad let out was a heaping cough and a deep intake of breath. He squints his eyes as a piece of silver falls to the ground "No, please, don't get up."

"Seriously, sit down, you need a break." Rocky grabbed his son by the shoulders and sat him down in the easy chair in their living room.

"I'm telling you dad, I really need to practice some more." Brad pops open his bottled water and takes a deep chug. After a gasp of air, he looks back up at his dad, who is walking in the room with a bag.

"Now, I talked with Adam today." Brad immediately tensed. Rocky had a huge grin on his face though. "And he told me about your late night study sessions."

Holy crap. Brad took in a sharp breath. There's no way Adam could have said a word to Rocky. "Dad, I can explain."

"You don't have to explain Brad. I think I know why you did it." This was way confusing, his dad was happy that he was having a secret relationship with his old flame. Not to mention that the said flame was now his Computer Science teacher. "That talk we had about college must have really gotten to you. And I can see you are making a large effort to bring up your grades in the science category."

"Y. Yeah." Brad decided to go with it. " You caught me, dad."

"So I decided to get you something. A little gift to make up for the riding."

"Oh… you did?" Brad cocked his head to the side quizzically. The guilt started to set in. " You really shouldn't have."

"No, no. I think you really deserve this." Rocky quieted a little and swallowed hard. "Your mother would be very proud of you."

Brad choked up a bit. "Thanks."

Rocky reached out his hand and gave Brad the brightly colored bag. "Here."

Brad reached into the back and pulled out a necklace box. "Jewelry?"

"A bit different, but I thought you would like it."

The ranger opened the box and dangling on a silver chain was a thin circular piece of silver with a red Chinese letter on it.

"It means –"

"Passion."

A drop of blood pattered onto the floor, from the wound on the red ranger's forehead. He finally spoke. "Where di-" He coughed heavily. "Where did you get that?"

"You don't remember." Adam kneeled down and saw the fury in his eyes. "Don't tell me you forgot."

"I'll never forget this, Dustin." Brad pulled the yellow ranger close and hugged him tight.

"Well, you deserve every bit of it." He replied, while the two were still close. The words hit Brad hard. Dustin could tell by a change in their hug. Now Brad was jst holding on, as if he was hugging a friend he really didn't want to see.

Brad finally broke the embrace and turned away. "What if I'm tired of deserving things?"

The black and yellow clad friend walked over to the red ranger and put his hands on his shoulders. The ranger always knew how to talk to people. He had wisdom far beyond what others thought. "Why do you say that?"

Brad latches onto his shirt and rips his clothes away to reveal a ninja uniform beneath. The red piping across the seams reveal his ranking as a red wind ninja, Guardian of the Air. "I don't deserve this." He reaches into his tunic and pulls out the silver necklace. "Or this."

"Yes you do." Dustin turns the teen around to make eye contact. Brad just looks down. "That necklace has everything to do with you. Your father sent you here for ninja training that he couldn't give you. And you have surpassed every expectation sensei Shane, Sensei Tori, and I had for you."

Brad is looking off over the giant hills of their secret locale. The large trees surrounding the clearing are bare. Their leaves have all fallen off, leaving ravenous twigs. "No, I'm a fake." Brad looks up into the deep chocolate eyes of the former yellow ninja ranger's eyes. " I'm a liar."

"Brad, what are you talking about?" Dustin grips his robe at the chest and rips it away to reveal his ninja uniform, the yellow piping still bright from his ranger days. "Tell me."

"I can't."

"Yes you can." Dustin pauses a second, as if debating to do something, then slowly pulls out a necklace and shows it to Brad. A yellow Chinese etching on the silver piece glimmers in the setting sun. "It means harmony. Sensei Watanabi told me to find harmony in myself after I was double crossed by a girl."

"Wow, that's harsh Dylan, maybe you can ask Brenda to help you deal with that! Do you really think that compares to my problem?"

"I don't know Brad, maybe if you could just tell me…"

"NO!" The sudden outburst shocked Dustin, and he knew it was serious.

"Bradley Chase…" He paused. The situation had to be serious. Dustin never called him by his middle name unless it was serious. "If you don't tell me, I will have to go to your father. It is my duty as your teacher to tell him if I think any-"

"You can't!" Brad grabbed his arm and gripped it tight. "Please, don't talk to him. Please just understand that I can't tell you about everything, you're my sensei."

"How about anything? And less you forget, we were friends… once." Dustin suddenly became introverted. "More than friends."

"Dustin…Please…" There was a pleading tone in Brad's voice, asking Dustin not to bring the subject up. It hurt him too much.

"You and I both know that it would've happened if you didn't become a full time student."

"Dustin…" Brad ran his hands through his hair and could feel the pressure pushing down. It would be only seconds before he would let it out.

"And Marah… she is over, and you know it. I just can't say anything more than I Love You…" Dustin was beginning to babble. His tone was almost as if setting up a proposition.

"I slept with Adam." Instantly he regretted it.

Dustin couldn't breathe. The words stabbed him harder than any knife could. They penetrated into his heart like an arrow wound. He looked at Brad with an expression mixed of pain and disgust.

"Dustin." Brad's voice quivered with worry. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

The red ranger reached out for his crestfallen friend, but all he retrieved open air. He desperately tried to get Dustin's hand, but the yellow ranger backed further away.

"I can't believe you…" Dustin wiped a tear from his eye.

"Dustin, wait." The red ranger steps forward but Dustin is too far away.

The yellow ranger sprints away and leaves Brad standing. His pain turns into anger. The cold winds pick up and swirl around him, carrying the dead leaves with it. He screams at the top of his lungs into the oncoming night. He rips the necklace from his neck and throws it off the hillside.

"Sure you do." Adam's voice was cruel. He knew exactly what Bad had been thinking about. "How do you think Dustin feels now?"

'_Oh no…' _Brad thought. He looked at the etched metal on the ground next to him. It didn't have the symbol for passion. It had the symbol of Harmony. All of the pain in his body was released, just as he learned in the ninja institute. "Where is he?"

"Oh, Y'know…" Adam looked up the stair shaft to the top floor. "Just hanging around."

Without a hesitation Brad jumped to his feet and ran up the stairs. With each creaking wooden step, his adrenaline pumped harder. He had to get to Dustin. The only question was, what was there of him to get to. Adam was ruthless with his torture. It was clear he took out all stops when he wanted to get at him.

Finally he reached the top floor, but there was only one door. Roof Access. Just as he was about to open the door, the eerie voice of his captor echoed through the building.

"Do you really want to open that door, Brad?"

The red ranger paused. Did he? Could he handle what was on the other side of the cold steel? He stared at the cracked paint and rusting patches He had to know. His hand clutched the bronze doorknob, and turned.

The door opened to Dustin's room. The soft footsteps of Brad's feet echoed through the silence. The yellow ninja didn't look up from his hands. He was still in his black garbs. His black hair was still messy from the wind. And his eyes were still bloodshot from the tears. It had only been an hour before that the two of them had their secret meeting on the hilltops.

"I'm leaving today." Brad said, softly. "And I don't want to go like this."

There was a long pause between the two of them. Dustin was the first to break it. "You know I have to tell your father Bradley."

"Dustin please…"

"He has to know Bradley." Dustin stood and began to walk towards the door.

"Why do you keep calling me Bradley?" Brad stopped in front of him, keeping him from getting to the door.

"Because you are my student, Bradley. It is my duty as one of your sensei to tell your father about this." His face was cold, but Brad saw right through it. Their eyes met and Brad's resolute appearance got through.

Dustin turned away and walked back to a corner of his room.

"I know you're hurt, but believe me, I didn't want to do it."

Immediately Dustin turned around, hoping that this meant something else; something Brad wasn't saying. "What? Did he force you to-"

"No, I mean…"

"So what?" The yellow ninja threw his hands in the air and walked away form the ranger, but paused and turned around, hoping to see some reason to forgive Brad. Maybe even to pin this on Adam. He wanted to desperately to make this all gone. " You had to mean something if you slept with him."

The way Dustin was acting hurt. It was as if brad had cheated on him. Sure he had feelings for him. Deep feelings. And he still wasn't quite sure why he did what he did. A moment of weakness maybe, but Dustin wasn't being fair. "Why are you acting this way? It's not like we were an item."

"We could have been. At least until…"

"Until what?" Brad gripped the chest of his ninja uniform and appeared in his civilian clothes. He had on a pair of dark jeans and some red converse with a white tee and matching dark denim jacket.

"Until you did this." His voice was cold, and the words surprised even him. But they were the truth. There was no way that it wasn't Brad's fault, he was making if loud and clear. It was also evident that he didn't feel the same way. Dustin turned his back to the red ranger. "You can go now. I am sure your father is waiting."

Without a word Brad turned around and walked out of the door, then shut it. As soon as the deep cherry wood separated the two, Brad leaned against it. His mind traced back to the last words Dustin said on the hill. After what he said to Dustin it felt harder than ever to tell him how he felt. It was obvious Dustin didn't want to know. The red ranger just took a deep breath and said what he should have said in the first place. "I love you too."

"I have to know." The red ranger said under his breath. "I have to see."

The knob was nearly rusted in place, but he finally got it to turn. As the door opened the cold winter wind whipped his hair around. There was a snowstorm outside, and the white globs of ice were flying in every direction as he entered the shaft that surrounded a stair step leading to the roof door.

"I love the cold. It's just perfect." Adam was close.

With that, he ran into the cramped, dank area and shut the door behind him. He looks up the ladder and can see the twinkling of stars, set between the large gray clouds, but closer to the opening, he can see small puffs of air. Breathing in the cold night.

"DUSTIN!" Panic racked through Brad's body, and he began up the steps. "HOLD ON!"

On the barren rooftop, the yellow ninja lay on the ground. His brown eyes were fading fast. There was a large gash in his side, probably from Adam. Brad rushed to his side and lifted him up from the snow-covered roof. Powder fell off of him as he rose from the ground, with Brad's help.

"Oh god, Dustin." Brad ripped the silver tape from his mouth and lifted him up higher. "Are you okay?" His eyes ran over Dustin's body, looking for any other possible injuries.

"Adam… He…" Dustin paused and winced at Brad's untying of his legs. "I think he sprained my ankle, and got my side pretty bad too." He takes a second to look at Brad. "Are you okay? Your head is bleeding. What did he do to you?"

"Dustin, I have to get you away before he gets up here." Brad lifts Dustin up onto his feet, and places his arm over his shoulder as a prop.

"You can't lift me, Brad. You're hurt worse than I am."

"No, you need to get away, he hurts everyone I love."

Dustin paused to look at Brad. "Love?"

"Like I said…we have to get out of here, before he gets up here. "Dustin's gaze was averted to the opening that Brad had come out of just seconds before. "Do you think you can ninja streak us out? What is it?"

Brad found what Dustin had been staring at; it was Adam. The former black ranger gripped the chest of his outfit and ripped it away, he was wearing a ninja outfit as well, but his was different. It was a samurai uniform.

"Don't think you were the only ranger to attend the school."

"So, how did your training go at the school?" Rocky glanced at Brad, then back to the road. The daylight was fading faster now that the two were on the highway. It would be only a second before- "Are you okay? You seem a bit down."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Brad looked away so his father wouldn't see the tear running down his cheek.

"Don't be down, B, You'll see the guys again over winter break." Rocky patted his son's thigh and turned back to the road. Just as Brad had thought the attempt at a conversation was over his father spoke again. "I talked with Sensei Brooks."

The red ranger stopped breathing. Did Dustin really tell him what happened with Adam? There was no way. Brad knew he would never abuse his trust like that.

"And he told me that you didn't want me to know about it, but I think it was in your best interest I know that you did this."

"Oh, dad, I uh…"

"When you snuck out, it really worried him. I know that Sensei Tori said it was okay, but Sensei Shane said it wasn't. You can't manipulate them like that." A Wave of relief rushed over Brad. "Yes, you are all friends, but it isn't right to use that against them. No I told you that you would get no special treatment, but I think they were lenient with you.

"Yeah, I uh, guess you're right. I promise I won't do it next time." The standard reply that all kids give their parents.

"Good. He also wanted to know about coming for a visit in Angel Grove. Maybe meeting the other rangers."

"Oh?" Brad lifted his head up and looked to his dad. "Do you know when?"

"I don't know, he and I talked when I dropped you off in May, but since then I haven't spoken to him about it. I thought for sure he would have said something to you about it."

"Nope, he uh… didn't tell me anything about it, but I am sure it just slipped his mind."

"Oh I'll just call him about it later" Rocky looks back to the road and just continues his driving as if nothing is wrong little does he know the trouble that's going through the mind of his son

"You know, your dad really is clueless." Adam leered forward, walking with stealthy steps.

"Leave him out of this Adam. It's you and me."

"Y'know... I don't really know who is more out of it between the two of you." Brad paused a second and looked at him, trying to figure out his plans. All he could see was pure darkness in his eyes. "You had no idea did you?"

He stopped in his footsteps, and Brad slowly realized what Adam was talking about; the night that he came in from the rain. He said he had been attacked by some kind of new evil. Rocky was out late working, and Adam took advantage of the situation, took advantage of Brad's state of worry.

"You bast-"

Before Brad could finish his sentence, Dustin ran forward and took Adam on. He wasn't moving fast, but his hits were hard, and he made them count. After the hours of sparring with Cam, he knew the fighting style of the samurai, and the weak parts. His sprained ankle seamed to be nothing to him now. The yellow ninja discarded his pain with each and every blow he took by the green and black clad opponent.

With a swift move of the hand, Adam hit the sweet spot and Dustin folded like a wet paper towel. All he had to do was dig a fist deep into the bleeding wound in his side. He dug his hand in deeper, relishing in the screams of pain. But he stopped as a foot landed his square in the jaw. He glanced over just in time to see Brad rip his clothes away and reveal a ninja uniform.

"Well, now that you're in the proper attire." He released his hold on Dustin, and the yellow ranger dropped to the ground. The crisp snow was slowly melting into crimson.

"Just shut up, and put up. This is over, here and now." Brad was putting on a brave face, but he had to.

They started in an all out attack on each other. Each punch was dodged, each kick blocked. Each time Brad landed a hit, Adam returned harder. Finally the two parted.

"You know the worst part about the entire thing. Pretending I loved you. You were nothing but a cheap fuck."

"That doesn't work anymore, I know you're not Adam. His soul is dead. Now it's just a matter of joining his body with it."

"Hard words for a guy who cries over every little thing. You're weak, Brad. Weak."

"Crying doesn't make you weak." Brad clenches his fists even harder. "It makes you human."

They clash it out again. The rage builds inside of the red ranger. All of the harsh words Adam has said, his killings, and the fact that he tried to kill the one person he loved, sent him over the edge, and something inside of him exploded.

"POWER OF AIR!" With a simple hand gesture, Brad blasted a funnel of wind at Adam, sending him flying through the door frame, taking the door with him. A large crash echoes through the night.

He waited for Adam to emerge. Minutes flew by, and nothing happened. Slowly Brad made his way over to the door. Just as he neared the open area, Adam flew out of the shaft and tackled Brad to the ground.

The two lay in the snow, Adam's eyes locked into Brad's. The black pupils bleed into the bloodshot white of his eyes, making them pure ebony. And as he spoke, his voice was deep and otherworldly. "Don't think you have won ranger. This is only the beginning."

A beat passes and a shadow rises out of Adam's body, leaving it limp and heavy. Brad rolls the black ranger off of him and stares deeply into the lifeless eyes of his former teacher, and friend.

With distant sounds of oncoming police cars echoing in the distance, the sun began to rise. Dustin hobbled over to Brad's side and gripped his had firmly. "You did it… you beat the evil."

Brad turned form Adam's body and wrapped his harms around the yellow rangers neck. "Please, just tell me one thing."

Dustin backs away from the embrace to look the red ranger in his green eyes. "Anything."

"That he really is gone."

"I'm sure of it." Dustin wraps his arms around Brad and holds him, while the snow falls down on top of them.

Rocky sits in his son's vacant bedroom, staring at a picture of the two of them together. His thoughts linger into the possibilities of the dangers he faces every day as a ranger. And the dangers he will face in the coming times. "I told you this wasn't over yet."


End file.
